Large parts of the Japanese archipelago were devastated and now scientists are attempting to predict the chances of another one in the future.

Volcanologist Yoshiyuki Tatsumi, from Kobe University, told The New York Times there is a 1 percent chance of a “catastrophic” eruption sometime over the next 100 years – endangering 100 million people.

A super eruption would eject huge amounts of volcanic debris into the atmosphere, risking shutting out the sun for parts of Earth, triggering a ‘volcanic winter’.